Grille removal

[ginger743]

Hi Everyone,
I'm just getting started with the job of replacing my " seeping " Oil Cooler lines.

Thought I would start with the easy stuff like taking the Grille off. I had it off a few years ago to clean the bugs out of the radiators and don't recall having any problems, not so this time, ( too many birthdays maybe ) ?

Looking at the GM shop Manual and the Diesel Page Volume One. GM manual says to , " Remove Grille from the filler panel and the vehicle by unsnapping". In one of the " figures " they show the item that they refer to that I need to , " unsnap". I may be able to figure it out in time but I thought if anyone here has removed a 1996 2500 Grille lately and could offer me any tips on " unsnapping " this " device " it would save me some time and maybe broken pieces.

I also drove to my local pic-a-part and seems the folks that removed those Grilles had the same problem, all that was there were broken pieces.

I think I have all of the other fasteners removed and all that's holding the Grille on now are those 2 fasteners on the lower part of the Grille behind the parking lamps.

If anyone can help me with any " tips " on how to release those fasteners it would be greatly appreciated !

Jerry

I started this new Grille removal thread because the other one was closed.

[ginger743]

Okaaaay,

I figured it out !!

It's getting dark here very soon so I'll finish the removal tomorrow , I released one fastener so all I have to do now is remove the other parking lamp assembly and release the other fastener. At least I figured out how to release those fasteners.

One problem is that it's difficult to see in there much less get a tool in there to work.

Jerry

[DennisG01]

Glad you got it figured out. I've had mine off a few times, but for the life of me I don't remember the parts you're talking about... But then, maybe I've had a few too many birthday's, too! :rolleyes:

[ginger743]

Hi Dennis,

Later today when I get back to working on the truck I'll take some photos to show you where that fastener is , how it works and what it looks like . Viewing the top and bottom of the area where it is before you take it apart you'll not see anything that looks like it needs to be , " unsnapped "

Last time I took my Grille off they may not have been fully engaged to cause me all of this " heartburn "

These fastening devices tie the lower part of the Grille to the " filler panel " which is a plastic panel behind the bumper near the top of the bumper, I guess it's there to keep road debris from being kicked up in front of the radiator.

The broken parts I saw at Pic-a-part were where they had broken out the part on the " filler Panel " that the part on the Grille latches onto.

I'll get the pictures up as soon as I can. I'll also do a little writeup on how to release , " unsnap " them as GM says .

Yup Dennis, that " too many Birthdays syndrome "

Later , Jerry

[ginger743]

Okaaaay,

I think I have it where it can be understood :)

Had to ride up a relearning curve in a piece of software I used to annotate the pictures.

Rather than edit out the duplicates that I didn't annotate I just left them with the annotated ones. Just scroll thru and check out the ones that I added text to.

Those " catches break really easily. I put a little J-B Weld to " glue " the broken one back on. There are enough "things" to hold the Grille in place I doubt that the 2 outer " catches " would ever be missed if they werren't there. There's a good one in the center that is easily released . We go thru the parking lamp mounts to get at the outer ones, the middle one can be reached by pulling the Grille out a bit when all other fasteners are removed.

Got my right and left mixed up , sorry about that :>)

Hope this works :D

Jerry

http://s1353.beta.photobucket.com/user/jerry743/library/#/user/jerry743/library/?&_suid=135674476056309695368873708978